Resurrection of the Angels
by sevenofmine
Summary: When the Enterprise enters an abandoned solar system to witness its collapsing sun, they pick up strange readings from one of the planets. Beaming down, the away team suddenly finds itself surrounded by strange statues that only seem to move when they are not being looked at - 2400 years later, archaeologist River Song finds an antique android on an ice planet... (DW: S4, TNG: S7)
1. Teaser

**The following story is thought to be a TNG/ DW crossover. Please review :)**

Captain's Log, Stardate 47239.6:

_We're on our way to the Noble-System close to the Romulan border, but still obviously on our side so that I don't expect any difficulties with our neighbours. The only sun in the system, Donna-458, is about to burn out and simply collapse. As it is a rare phenomenon, we are going to witness and record the event._

* * *

"When will we arrive at the system?" Captain Picard asked.

"Our estimated arrival time will be in ten minutes and thirty-four seconds," Data read from the console in front of him.

Picard nodded, only a few more minutes to wait.

"Captain, our long range sensors are picking up strange readings from one of the planets," Commander Worf suddenly informed.

"What do you mean by strange?"

"I am not certain, Sir. We need to get closer to do a full scan. But it appears as if there was a kind of life forms."

"The only colony registered for the system resettles three weeks ago," Riker said and looked at the Captain for help.

"Any problems?" Picard asked.

"No. There had been a religious group who didn't want to leave their sainted soil but they had been persuaded to leave," his Number One answered.

Picard nodded and thought for a moment. "Commander Data, accelerate to Warp 8. I think we should take a look before the sun collapses. On which planet were these life forms detected, Mr. Worf?"

"On the third, its designation is D-34. Due to the expansion of the sun, its rich vegetation is first expected to be burnt and then the soil will turn into an ice desert."

"Didn't the explorer have any time to invent real names for the planets?" Riker asked surprised.

"There is no information about the discovery of the system. The first colony settled down five hundred years ago and the name of the sun and the system were derived from the religious beliefs in two Gods with supernatural power and instruments. It came to first contact with the Federation at Stardate 41223.4," Worf gave a full-length explanation before he was interrupted by Data, "Captain. We have entered the solar system."

"Set a course to orbit the third planet," the Captain ordered and then turned to Riker, "take an away team of five. Try to find the life form and make contact. Ask if it is aware of the natural catastrophe that the planet awaits. Hail me if there are problems."

Riker nodded. "Data," he chose his first away team member and the two officers left the bridge.

=/\=

"I beam you to the coordinates of where the life forms were first detected. I have to inform you that they're really slight and could also resemble a transporter echo," the new transporter chief said when the away team, including Riker, Data, LaForge and two tactical officers, stepped on the platform.

It took only a few seconds until they materialised on the surface of the planet.

"I want Chief O'Brien back," Riker complained when he looked around.

They seemed in the middle of nowhere. There were a few bushes and small trees, but it was cold and they were half-way of a mountain. "We are at an estimated height of 1,500 meters," Data read from the Tricorder. "We have to go further up."

"I'd rather like to be down there," Geordi mentioned and pointed down. A few miles away, the flora and fauna had spread and it looked like a green and blue ocean of vegetation. But nevertheless, he followed the other officers toward the top of the mountain. It took them ten minutes to reach the end of this way and stood at a kind of platform. Data just wanted to explain where the way toward the top continued, when he spotted the awkward stone formation a few meters ahead of them.

"Are they statues?" one of the Red Shirts asked surprised.

"The Tricorder says that they are indeed made of stone but they are also the reason for the life form readings as they eradiate a similar energy pattern," Data answered.

"What are they now, stone with energy patterns or life forms?" Riker asked confused and a little bit suspicious. He looked around but noticed nothing strange.

"I would say both, Commander," Data said in the voice that made him sound a bit surprised as well.

"There are two more of them," the Ensign mentioned and looked at two other stone formations near the stone wall which was part of the mountain. "They look like angels," he added.

Curiously, LaForge walked forward. His visor also picked up the energy radiation but there was something else that alarmed him. The stone angel looked indeed real, his face covered in his hands and the wings at his back. "I thought the colony was non-human," he said.

"It was. Only few humans lived here after the planet joined the territory of the United Federation. There was also no report of stone art made or left behind," Data answered.

"Commander!" the Ensign suddenly shouted.

"What is it?" Riker asked and turned around to see where the tactical officer was pointing at.

"They weren't here before, I assume."

"No, they weren't," the Commander agreed and looked at the stone angels who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere behind them. He took a quick look around to notice that they were surrounded. Indeed strange, he thought and sighed slowly. He bet that Picard did want a report of that.

**Please comment.**


	2. Angels chasing

**Please continue commenting. And I am sorry for switching between first and last names, I just adapt to which would sound better in the sentence ;)**

Chapter 1

"Commander, I think that they haven't been so close to us before," Geordi said and Riker looked back to the stone wall again. His officer was right. The angel statues seem to have moved and not only have they changed their place, but also their appearance. Two of the statues didn't have their face hidden in their hands anymore but their faces looked angry and their mouths were widely open so that you could see their sharp teeth.

"Thoughts?" the Number One asked.

"My theory would be that they can only move when they are not being seen. But of course, I need more evidence to develop a fact-based thesis," Data concluded quickly.

"Here you have your evidence," one of the Ensigns said. All five of them had turned back to the mountain and therefore the other angels had come closer. They didn't look as nice or shy as before, but rather like Earth demons, their mouths open and their faces filled with anger and hatred.

"What do they want to do to us?" the other Ensign asked.

"Actually, I'm not keen on finding out," Riker decided and tapped his combadge. "Riker to Enterprise." He waited for a moment before he tried it again.

"Commander, the composition of this stone area might be the reason for our communication problems," Data answered while reading the information from his Tricorder.

"Then I would suggest that we climb down again. These creatures are obviously the reason for the energy patterns but they don't look as if they want to be saved," Lieutenant Commander La Forge suggested.

"I agree," Riker said. "But we need to make sure that we always look at them. Data, you don't have to blink, right?"

"That is true, Commander."

"Then you walk out of here as last of us. You need to constantly look at the angels so that they can't persecute us."

"Understood, sir," Data said and looked back at the wall. Slowly, the officers formed a circle and each of them looked into another direction.

"We need to move slowly so that we don't stumble," the tactical officer said.

"How do we imagine to get down the mountain? I mean, I can't climb while looking up," La Forge asked.

Nobody answered and they managed to get to the edge of the platform.

"I don't want to spoil anything, but I don't like what I am seeing," Riker said when he looked down to the path which they had taken up.

"Let me guess, Commander, it's crowded with angels down there," La Forge answered and without a response, he knew that he was right.

After a while, Riker suddenly stopped. "This part is the most difficult one. Do you still see angels?"

La Forge and the two tactical officer negated but Data said that there were some angels in his view, standing immobile next to the way that they had gone.

"We now climb down. Data, you continue staring at the angels."

"Yes, sir," Data answered and looked at the statues. He did not see how it was frightening for the humans, they were only made of stone. At least, this was what the Tricorder said. He didn't have an explanation for the energy readings yet but perhaps he could persuade the Commander to have a closer look at the life forms as soon as they were out of danger.

"Data, you can come down now," he heard Riker's voice.

He turned around and started the walk towards the others. Having arrived, they turned to the angels in the valley.

"We need to get down there in order to reach the Enterprise. The elements and compositions of the stone is probably jamming our communication waves," La Forge explained.

"Commander, let me stay here. As you said yourself, I do not need to blink. I could look at the angels while you get down there," Data proposed.

"And how do you get down there?" Riker asked doubting.

"I can think of something. I can also move my head faster than any of you so that I do not allow the angels to move in time."

The Commander hesitated for a moment but then seemed to agree. The four officers then started their walk further down while Data continued watching them. They had just stopped and Riker seemed to hail the Enterprise, when Data's proximity sensors alarmed him. Compared to a human, it would be his instinct that forced him to turn around.

There he noticed why: the angel statue was standing only a few inches away from him, his hands were reaching out and his mouth seemed to scream. But then he heard a real scream. He could not turn around but he knew that it must have been a crewmember of the Enterprise. The moment they had beamed up, the angels must have come too close and reached them. Data hoped that they all made it back in time. He walked a few steps backwards, knowing that the angels behind him could now fully move. He turned his head quickly around and saw that he was indeed surrounded.

He continued walking, moving his head constantly into all directions but still the angels seemed to come closer with every nanosecond. He had reached the area and tried to hail the Enterprise. He got no response. He checked his inner clock and noticed that the sun was about to collapse within the next five minutes. The ship must have left in time in order not to get destroyed by the heat and radiation of the event. It was only a matter of minutes until this planet would burn as well. Those statues would be destroyed in every case but he would go with them. Scanning the area around him, he found the entry to a cave. As they had noticed before, the stone contained a rare composition of several metals and perhaps a cave would protect him from the heat that would destroy the surface.

He continued his walk toward the cave to find a shelter and finally turned his head back to normal to climb the last few meters to safety. He had just reached the interior of the cave when the earthquakes began. The sun must have collapsed a few minutes ago and the heat waves have reached the planet. He turned around and noticed that some few angels had followed him into the cave. Rocks were falling down onto them and Data went to the ground as he was hit by one of them. He scanned himself again and noticed that the relay connection to his left leg seemed to malfunction.

It did not look severe but in order to repair it, he would have to deactivate himself. Unfortunately, his positronic system had suffered under the falling debris as well and he could hardly move anymore. The earthquakes were getting stronger and rubble was hitting the ground. The entry of the cave was closing and the sun light was becoming less.

Data knew that in darkness the angels could obviously move freely. He did not know what they would do as soon as they had reached him. But his last chance was to deactivate himself and hope that the angels only reacted to life forms or energy patterns which he also emitted. The moment before it got completely black, he turned off himself and did not even register the moment anymore in which the angel was standing right in front of him. Then it was dark.

=/\=

"Where is Lieutenant Commander Data?" the transporter chief asked.

"He must be on the sensors within a few seconds. He helped us to escape," Riker said and walked over to the console.

"Commander, where is Ensign Schultz?" La Forge suddenly wanted to know.

He looked back. Geordi was right. One of the tactical officers was missing.

"The angels must have got him," the other Ensign said.

"Scan for him," Riker ordered.

"I'm sorry, but I can only read the energy patterns that we have found before. But...there is one more."

"He has become an angel? Is that even possible?" La Forge asked and looked at the other two officers.

"Excuse me the question, but what is an 'angel'?" the transporter chief interrupted.

Commander Riker just wanted to answer, when Picard hailed him. "Riker here."

"Commander, we need to depart immediately if we don't want to burn with the sun. Is the away team complete?"

"No, sir. Ensign Schultz has gone missing and Lieutenant Commander Data is still on the planet."

"Explain that, Number One."

"This could take some time."

"We don't have time."

"I know..." Riker answered and knew that it was going to be a tough conversation to explain how two officers have gone missing – or possibly killed – in action, and under his command.

**I'd welcome reviews.**


	3. Expedition

**Thank you for your reviews so far and don't stop writing them ;)**

Chapter 2

"Tell me, why have I agreed to this?" Professor River Song moaned when she continued climbing up the hill.

"You wanted to take a time-out since the disaster on planet Vulcan. They could have dig out that old vases themselves," the expedition leader Marcus Archer answered.

"Vulcans had no passions for what antique relics they owned. They couldn't even experience joy for finding the lost heritage of their religious sect."

Archer just shook his head when he turned around to her. "The quicker we are finished here, the earlier you can change to Strackman Lux' ship. That's the one you've applied for, isn't it?"

"I've worked with him before," River answered and reached the entry of the cave. "Why would we go in here?"

"There must have been a natural catastrophe some while ago. Records of the Federation show that the collapsed star of this system has turned the planet into an ice desert. Before, rich vegetation and even rain forest could have been found."

"Did you say Federation?"

"Yes. Concluding the records and the format in which they had been stored, I'd guess that the natural disaster took place more or less 2400 years ago."

River sighed and had a quick look around. "So, there's no other way than to simply get in. I just hope it's a bit warmer in there," she said and walked toward the entry. It was damn cold and the ice layer was shimmering whitely and reflecting the sun light. The higher they had gone, the thicker the ice got and she finally felt safe for the moment that she climbed over the frozen rocks into the interior of the cave. She put away her sunglasses and switched on her torch.

She had to focus her concentration for not starting to scream. "Oh no," she muttered and completely jumped into the cave so that the other archaeologists could follow.

"What is it?" Archer asked.

"You see that?" she asked and pointed her torch beam at two stone statues. "They're called Weeping Angels and everyone they touch becomes one of them."

"Which mean we shouldn't get close to them," one of the other team members said.

"That's not so easy," River answered without turning around. "They can move in the moment that you don't see them. I've encountered them before and it wasn't the most pleasant meeting. I can only propose that we retreat and close the entry of the cave."

Archer looked back at his men. They just shrugged their shoulders. They all knew that Professor Song had some experience but they also heard a lot of rumours of what she had done in her past. When Archer turned back, he nearly stumbled.

"I told you that they would move," River said, half-smiling, half-nervous. "It's because I blinked. Now, please do me a favour and point your torches at these two angels. I want to be on the safe side."

The other archaeologists did so, but Archer started to look around. "Might be that they have found shelter during the catastrophe. Do you know how long they live, Professor?"

"They live forever."

He nodded but suddenly something caught his eye. "Greg, George. You continue looking at the angels. Professor, can I have your full attention please?"

River hesitated but when she reassured herself that the two archaeologists were staring at the Weeping Angels, she and Samuel Wilson walked over to what the boss had found.

"Is that a cybernetic life form?" Wilson asked.

"Looks like an android. But they haven't produced such realistic ones for centuries," River explained surprised.

"If he had found shelter during the catastrophe, he might have deactivated himself here. Look at his leg, it shows the blank circuits at some places. Perhaps he was defect," Archer answered.

"The cave has nearly been without any oxygen. I had to pull some stones away in order to get in. Probably he was conserved for a very long time," River said. "We should bring him to our ship and see if we get him working."

"Agreed. He might have been on the run from the angels when the sun collapse had happened. But we still need to find out how he got here," the expedition leader said and stood up again. "But what do we do with the angels?"

"We could position them so that they look at each other," Greg proposed.

"As soon as it goes dark, they can move again," River said. "But they usually rip off the energy of the victims they touch. They could become angels themselves or be sent back into time while they use the energy the victim might have had during the rest of his life."

"Do I have to understand a word of what she is saying?" George complained but continued looking at the statue. Suddenly, his torch light began to flicker.

"It has begun," River muttered and quickly had a look around. "Maybe we can absorb the energy they still have," she proposed and pulled out her scanning device. "What if I short-circuit this with an angels. It needs a huge amount of energy and perhaps it can pull it off?"

"And how do you want to short-off the energy of a stone statue?" Greg asked bored.

"They only appear as them. When they're not looked at, they are not of stone but can move."

"We just shouldn't be touched," Greg muttered.

"I'll do it," Archer explained. "I'm the leader of this mission."

"No. It was my idea and I should risk it."

Archer just wanted to say but the lights started flickering again.

"Whatever you decide, do it quick," Samuel said and Archer and River just looked at each other.

"If you can't decide, I do it," George quickly said and took out his device. River wanted to intervene but that was the moment when the lights went out completely. She heard a scream and suddenly her torch was working again. She had dropped it and quickly picked it up. She looked around and saw Archer where he had stood, his face in shock.

She turned to see what he was looking at. The angels had moved, the mouths were widely open and their sharp teeth were to be seen. But despite the fact that they hadn't managed to cover their faces in time, their eyes somehow didn't look scary anymore. They seemed...dead, in a strange kind of way.

"Where's George?" Greg suddenly asked.

River looked around. There was too less sunlight falling in from outside and it was nearly sundown. "Back in time."

"He sacrificed his life to rescue ours," Archer said in surprise.

"Yeah, you wouldn't have done that," River said in a challenging voice but walked deeper into the cave. "There seems to be a corridor and I have the strange feeling that more angels are to await us down there."

"But we won't go there, will we?" Samuel asked scared.

"No. It would be too risky. We have to assume that Weeping Angels survived the catastrophe and the last two and a half millennia. I say we return to our ship and repair the android if we can. He can probably tell us more," Archer said and without a word, Greg and Samuel followed, still in shock about the loss of their friend.

River had a last look into the cave before she climbed into the desert again. Blinded by the reflecting sunlight, she took out her glasses. It was a long walk to the ship and she just hoped that – if there were any angels left – they hadn't noticed them.

=/\=

River hectically closed the door when they had entered the ship. She remembered when the angel had simply moved out of the screen and nearly transformed Amy into a mirror of itself. Samuel and Greg carried the body to sickbay. They had hardly ever needed it but now she feared that their equipment wouldn't be enough. It should have only been a little discovery mission, finding out the consequences of the devastation and if the planet was still habitable for resettling some colonies.

"His system have frozen but I think the fact that he deactivated must have saved his existence," Archer said, refusing to mention the word 'life'. "The coldness has probably conserved the metals and I might be able to repair him. But that would take some time and I'd rather be alone doing it."

River nodded and sighed. She knew that this was a point where no arguments would bring her any further. She left the room together with Greg and Samuel. They sat down in the dining area and while both team members coped with what they have just seen, River took out her little diary that she always kept.

She remembered well the last meeting with the angels and how they had only closely prevented that they would kill her. She smiled seeing the little picture of the doctor which she had drawn next to the notes. She didn't want it true that she missed him but to be honest, she did. And she hoped that she would meet him again, after all, he had always indicated something like that but then answered with 'spoilers'.

**Please comment :)**


	4. Einstein-Rosen-bridge

**Please continue reviewing. Allons-y!**

Chapter 3

It took a while until expedition leader Archer came into the dining area. "I think I'm ready to activate the android. River, do you want to join me?"

River looked up from her diary. She had been shortly lost in thoughts, but then nodded and followed her boss to sickbay.

Archer walked around the bio bed around which a lot of cables and technical instruments lay on the desks. He searched a switch on the side of the android and suddenly his eyes opened.

"Where am I?" he asked, to River's surprise not with a cybernetic voice, but with a normal one. At least, he couldn't be an upgraded cyberman, she thought with relief.

"You're aboard the Colorado. I'm Captain Marcus Archer, chief of the archaeological mission. That's my team member River Song," he said and nodded to her.

"Archaeological mission?" the android asked surprised and sat up.

"Yes, we're archaeologists. We found you in the cave. Can you tell us what happened?" River wanted to know.

"What year is it? My internal clock seems to malfunction."

"It's the year 4785. How long have you been lying there?"

The android seemed to calculate for a few milliseconds. "My last records before my deactivation are from Stardate 47239.7, the year 2370. This means that I have been deactivated for 2415 years." He seemed to be surprised by the fact as well. He looked up to River and Marcus, probably not knowing what to say.

"Can you tell us what happened? We found the Weeping Angels in the cave. We could kill two of them, are there more?" River asked curiously.

"First, I think he should tell us who he is and how he came here, okay?" Marcus intervened and looked at the android, making him clear that he should explain.

"I am Lieutenant Commander Data of the Federation star ship Enterprise. We had been in this solar system to witness the sun collapse. Due to energy readings on the surface, an away team, including me, beamed down. We found the angel statues to which referred to as Weeping Angels if I am correct. They hunted us and I stayed on the surface for that the away team could safely beam up. But I think one of the men did not make it and became a statue himself, if that is possible. However, I found shelter in the cave where I had to deactivate myself due to system malfunctions. I believe that the angels did not recognize me as a life form as soon as my network shut down."

Archer nodded and tried to process what he has just heard. "How many angels have been caged in the cave with you?"

"I am not sure, but I believe it must have been three or four."

"We've only found two which means that some are still on the surface," River mentioned. "We should leave this planet as soon as possible."

"I agree," Marcus said and walked out of the room.

River helped Data to get up. "You need to explain us more details once we're saved."

"Do I understand you correctly? I have been lying on the surface for over two thousand years and...all my friends are dead?"

They both followed Marcus to the bridge of the little ship. Greg and Samuel were both sitting at their stations, checking something. "Captain, I think you should see this," Greg suddenly said and put it on the main screen.

"Is that the camera at the main entry?"

His team member nodded. They all looked at the two angels who stood in front of the entrance, their hands widely open as if they wanted to attack.

"Launch the ship," Archer demanded immediately. Samuel didn't react. "Samuel, I gave you an order!"

Samuel turned around slowly. "I cannot move my hand, sir."

"What are you talking about?"

"It is made of stone. Don't you see it?"

Archer wanted to come closer but River held him back. "Have you looked into the eyes of an angel?" she asked her team member.

"I don't know," Samuel answered anxiously.

"What does it mean?" Data asked and walked toward them as well.

"Who looks into the eye of an angel becomes himself an angel."

"How do you know that, River?" the boss asked.

"A friend of mine explained that to me. And I saw it with my own eyes," she explained.

Archer turned around and strived his hands through his hair. All people looked at him, expecting new orders. But when he turned around, he looked puzzled. Data and River turned around and saw what startled him. Samuel had become an angel himself, he looked like a stone stature, his eyes covered in his hands, standing at them.

"Okay, nobody looks away. Greg, you continue staring at the screen for that the two angels from the outside don't enter. River, Data, you look at this angel. I will start the ship," Archer said when he was able to talk again. He walked over to the main console in front of the bridge.

"I register an increase of chronotron particles. Is that normal?" Data suddenly asked.

"Usually not, except if we're planning a time jump," River answered quickly but confused.

"I see that as well," Archer said.

"Is it coming from the angel?" River wanted to know and both she and Data went closer to it.

"I d not think so. My internal sensors read a strange energy pattern in this room but without a Tricorder I cannot sense from where it comes exactly."

"You seem to be a really advanced android," River mentioned while they both stood only inches from the angel away.

"Are no more androids developed?"

"Not on our planet and the next few systems. We've had too much negative experience – no offense intended."

"None taken."

"If you aren't too busy flirting, I'd inform you about the increasing energy pattern right behind the angel," Greg suddenly said and a moment later, it could also be seen.

"What is that?" River asked surprised and they all looked startled at the yellow-orange 'cloud' forming only a meter away from them. It went brighter and it was rather a simple white light.

"Is that a wormhole?" Data asked and he tried to scan the phenomenon.

"I don't know. It might be a coincidental appearance of an Einstein-Rosen-bridge," River answered and wanted to step back but suddenly there was this pull and she tried not to fall forwards.

Data wanted to walk backwards as well but he felt how the bridge folded space and time and created an increasing gravity that pulled him somehow forward. Archer grabbed the console and tried not to let himself fall towards the energy reading. Data tried to grab something as well and his network wasn't fully functioning yet so that he could not use the full power of his body.

Suddenly, archaeologist Song grabbed his hand because she couldn't hold herself anymore. He felt how he was losing the floor under his feet and was pulled into the wormhole. River tried to grab the angel statue but it had already loosened any hold on the floor.

Hand in Hand with the android, she was pulled into the wormhole as well and suddenly lost her orientation and for a short moment her consciousness.


	5. Rescue

**The last chapter.**

Chapter 4

River gained her consciousness again. She still felt the disorientation and had a terrible headache when she tried to sit up and have a look around. First of all, it was dark and she already feared to be somewhere in space or at the end of the universe. But then she noticed that it must be night.

She blinked a few times and then saw the android lying a few meters left to her. He was getting up and walking over to her. Data helped her to stand up. "Where are we?" she asked and recognized a shining light about ten meters away from them.

"I would say that this wormhole made us travel through space and time," Data concluded.

"But where are we?" River repeated her question and started walking toward the light. They seemed to be on an abandoned street.

"Earth," Data suddenly said and she walked over to him. He pointed at a metal-glass box in which different papers lay.

"What is it?"

"An antique form of news spreading called newspaper. Each day, the humans wrote the news from all over the world on these papers so that others could read them. It also means that we must be somewhere between the 19th and 22nd century."

"How do you know so much about this time?"

"I was loaded with information about history, culture and traditions of various life forms. Humans were one species among them."

"That's amazing," River muttered. They still didn't know where they were exactly or what has brought them here. "Where's the angel?" she suddenly noticed.

"It must have got away the moment that you were unconscious and that I was not looking at it," Data concluded and looked around.

"Now we have a lose angel on Earth. Great," River said and they started to walk along the street. "We need to find out where and when exactly we are. And I also think that you shouldn't be seen by so many people."

"I agree. Whatever century this is, I doubt that they are used to an android life form. From my records, I think the first cybernetic life form was built in the late 21st century."

"Wait here. I will go over there to this shop and ask for where we are. They'll probably think I'm nuts," she added silently and walked over. They were at a huge place with glass monuments. She has been to the 21st century before and she just hoped that it wasn't what she thought it was.

She entered the pizzeria, that was what it was called and walked over to the man working there. "Excuse me, this might sound awkward, but where am I and what date is it?"

The man only stood there, staring at her and she continued smiling. "I...hm...it's the 2013 and you're in Cardiff...Earth."

"Thank you very much," she answered and walked back to Data. "Cardiff, Earth, 2013. I think it could have been worth. But we still need to find a way to return to our timeline and find the angel."

"If I may correct you, I would like to find a way to travel to my time."

"Of course," River said and had a quick look around. Then she searched her pockets and sat down at a bench.

"What are you doing?"

"I might have an answer..." Finally, she found it and took out her little blue book. "Let us find a place with more light," she decided and they sat down on a bench. "This is my diary. I have been travelling through space and time and perhaps I can find us someone to get us out of here."

"What exactly are you keeping in it?" Data asked and had a look inside. It was full of notes and drawings, most of them black and white.

"Everything I experienced. And that was a lot..." She tried to remember when the Doctor was on Earth the last time. Or where she could leave a message so that he could appear in time. Like she did when they encountered the Weeping Angels last time. She knew that he wouldn't like at all to see her again and especially not rescue her but he would do so. She just hoped that a younger version of him would appear. One that she could give orders...

"Sit down," she said but he preferred standing.

"When the angel escapes, it has to remain undiscovered. Where would the angel hide?" Data asked and looked around.

"I don't know...that's it. Here's a crack of space and time in Cardiff. That's the reason for the wormhole and why we are here."

"Excuse me?" Data asked and it was not often that he didn't understand.

"Cardiff has a speciality. A crack in space and time makes two space-time events touch. Which is of course, not so good. There was an organization called Torchwood who cleared Cardiff from the trash that came through the rift but they were destroyed. Now, the city has to get along with everything themselves."

"Trash?" he asked, clearly not understanding. He blinked a few times and looked around.

"Aliens, Data. There're loads of aliens in this century, most of them around rifts in space and time."

"But the first official meeting with alien races will be at 5th April 2063, Bozeman, Montana."

"Yeah, official. But most people don't even believe into unnatural when it is right under their nose. That's what the doctor told me and what is so clear. There have been so many events throughout all Earth's history," River explained why she hectically skimmed her notes.

"The angel aliens looked like statues. I think a statue like this, best hides in churches of these centuries. I have seen photos and there were some looking like the angel."

"Weeping Angels...that's how they're called," River said and got up.

"Do they call themselves like that?"

"No, that's what we use to call them. We haven't made real contact with them yet," River said. "They aren't the kind of aliens you invite to tea and cookies..."

"Where are you going to?" Data asked when River started to move.

"As you said, an angel like this best hides in a church. The doctor once told me that there were even more angels like the one we met, down here on Earth."

"In this century?" he asked while they entered a street with a lot of closed stores and shops. It was obviously night to them and Data wondered if this century was really as dark as it had been described by the information he got. After all, the people here looked quite happy, at least those few that were out on the streets.

"That looks like one, doesn't it?" River suddenly said and stopped abruptly. They stood in front of an old building made of stone, a material that was hardly used anymore in the 24th century.

"Fascinating," Data muttered as he has never seen anything like it before. He was of course familiar to different architectural structures on a lot of planets, but actually he hasn't seen one of Earth before so closely.

They both entered the church. River pulled out the torch she was always carrying.

"Maybe it would be wiser to wait until daytime," Data suggested.

"No...the angels have become stronger. What if they turn everyone into an angel?"

Data admitted that she did have a point. He followed her and scanned the area. The light beam of the torch was flickering through the huge hall. And suddenly, they saw it. It wasn't only one angel, there were a lot of them.

"I think that our angel has gathered them here," River said and slowly walked forward.

"Stop," Data suddenly warned her. "If we get closer, the light cone will get smaller as it will be absorbed by a thing far sooner."

"We won't be able to see all of them anymore. But what are we supposed to do now?" she asked.

"How have you beaten them before?" Data asked and had a quick look around. He was never programmed to be that creative.

"Once, the lack of gravity pulled them away. I can't really remember the other encounter but one time, the Doctor put the statues so that they looked at each other. But that wouldn't distract them forever, it only had to get dark again," she explained.

"The eternal flame."

"Excuse me."

"Is there not always a candle lit in a castle that will always be replaced and therefore never turn out?" Data asked. He hoped that his memory chip worked within normal parameters even after the trip through space and time.

"But it isn't enough light...but the angel also can't move if they think that they're being seen. We need to put them in a way that they all look at each other and that the light of the candle can theoretically shine to all of them."

"It might work," Data admitted surprised that Professor Song was so brilliant.

"Then let's get started," River said.

Only one of them could always move the angels and mostly Data held the torch and stared at the statues so that River could move them. She put them next to the walls, always two looking at each other. After that, she moved the candle farther to the middle of the church. Finally, she took back the torch and switched it off.

"I am glad that you prove our theory on correctness, but we should have worked out a plan before we did so," Data said.

"But it seems to work. We're still here," River answered and looked at the small candle on a table behind the altar. "Now all we need is a way to get out of here."

River and Data both walked out of the church again. It has gotten shinier and dawn has begun. Suddenly, River heard a noise that she had heard quite too often. "Doctor!" she shouted and ran around the corner.

"Hello there," a familiar voice answered.

"But how have you got here?" River asked surprised.

"You have called me, haven't you?"

"No."

"Damn it, I always come too soon," the man answered and then turned to Data. "Hello, I'm the Doctor."

"I'm Lieutenant Commander Data of the Federation ship Enterprise."

"Federation...that was the 23rd century, wasn't it? And you're an android...how fascinating..." He walked around Data and examined him from all sides.

"Doctor...I haven't called you. How will I do that?" River interrupted.

"24th century," Data mentioned while the Doctor eyeballed his face and hair.

"Of course 24th century. Really good work. Who constructed you?"

"Professor Noonien Soong," Data answered.

"Ah, knew it. Really charming fellow, but he got quite confused in the end."

"You knew my father?"

"Yeah, long story. I'll tell you...what about you, River? Shouldn't you be leaving a message for me right now?"

"Where? Where will you find it?"

"I'll be coming to Cardiff in about 150 years. Just write it into that tiny stone down there," he explained and pointed at a brick at the bottom of the wall.

"And how?" River asked sighing. Sometimes he could really be nerving.

The Doctor threw over his screwdriver and turned back to Data. "What about a nice little chat before we return you to your timeline? I could tell you about robots in the 34th century and you tell me a bit about what it is like to be an android."

Data wanted to answer something but then just followed the man into the blue box he was leading to. Perhaps this is going to be an interesting report for the Starfleet science department, he thought and mentioned, "may I ask which kind of technology is used here? It seems bigger on the inside!"

**Please comment and write me if you are interested in more science fiction stories of me. For more information, please visit my profile. I hope you liked this little story here :)**


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